Professorships
For nearly four decades, the Jefferson Scholars Foundation has served a mission to identify, attract, and nurture individuals of extraordinary intellectual range and depth who aim to enhance the University community.
In 2012, the Foundation further extended this mission by launching the Jefferson Scholars Foundation Professorship Program. A series of $5 million professorships were established, designed to help President Jim Ryan and his academic team attract the world’s most outstanding professors to U.Va. To date, the Foundation has raised more than $70 million for this effort and created partnerships with the College of Arts & Sciences, the Darden School of Business, the Law School, and the School of Medicine.
Meet the professors
Jefferson Scholars Foundation Professorships support nationally and internationally recognized scholars and leaders in their fields, known for their superior abilities as both classroom teachers and innovative researchers. The professors participate actively in the Jefferson Scholars community, serving on selection committees, attending Foundation events, and helping recruit Scholars and Fellows.
Jianhua “JC” Cang
Paul T. Jones Jefferson Scholars Foundation Professor
Department of Biology, Department of Psychology
Professor Cang helps lead U.Va.’s brain-science research with joint appointments in the Departments of Biology and Psychology. His research focuses on two brain structures in the visual system—the cortex and the superior colliculus—as he works to identify treatments for visual impairments.
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Christa Dierksheide
Brockman Foundation Jefferson Scholars Foundation Professor
Corcoran Department of History
Professor Dierksheide’s research focuses on the political thought of Thomas Jefferson, race and slavery, and the legacy of the founding generation.
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Kevin Pelphrey
Harrison-Wood Jefferson Scholars Foundation Professor
School of Medicine
Professor Pelphrey’s research uses brain science to develop biologically based tools for detection and stratification and individually tailored treatments for individuals with autism. He’s served on the faculty at several universities, including Duke University, Carnegie Mellon, Yale University, and George Washington University.
Learn More“Our hope is that these professorships will allow the university to attract a community of leading scholars and teachers—people who are not only superior classroom teachers but also outstanding researchers. The impact they will have on our students and on the university as a whole is going to be significant.” Jimmy Wright, President, Jefferson Scholars Foundation
The University and the Foundation expect the holders of the Professorships to be:
- Nationally and internationally recognized scholars and leaders
- Superior classroom teachers who are eager to engage with students
- Dynamic lecturers
- Leading-edge researchers in their fields
- Willing to participate actively in the Foundation community by serving on selection committees, attending Foundation events, and helping the Foundation recruit Scholars and Fellows
- Individuals whose presence on the faculty will help attract other outstanding colleagues to U.Va.
- Individuals who embrace interdisciplinary collaboration and recognize its value to the creation of new knowledge
- Active in, and involved citizens of, the University community
